Varietal and seasonal differences in the effects of commercial bumblebees on fruit quality in strawberry crops.

ABSTRACT: Both wild and managed pollinators significantly contribute to global food production by providing pollination services to crops. Colonies of commercially-reared honey bees and bumblebees are two of the largest groups of managed pollinators. Bumblebees in particular are increasingly used on soft fruit crops, such as strawberry, an economically important crop globally. Despite the use of commercial bumblebees in strawberry crops, there is little quantitative evidence that they provide a benefit to farmers. Given the negative impacts that commercial colonies can have on wild bee populations, it is vital that the benefits of commercial bumblebees are quantified, so reasoned management decisions can be made that provide maximum benefit to both farmers and wild bees. In this study, commercial co

SUBMITTER: Martin CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6686987 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature